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Search indexed NASA NTRS and DOE OSTI research on propulsion, heat transfer, battery materials and energy systems. Follow report and document links to the original sources.

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NASA NTRS1995

X-ray emission from giant H II regions in M101

We have examined the archival ROSAT Position Sensitive Proportional Counter (PSPC) and the High-Resolution Imager (HRI) images of the galaxy M101 to study the X-ray properties of its giant H II regions. All five giant H II regions, NGC 5447, NGC 5445, NGC 5461, NGC 5462, and NGC 5471, show X-ray emission. By observing their basic properties, such as size, hardness ratio, and estimated luminosity, and by comparisons with better known regions in the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC), we are able to suggest some possible mechanisms for the sources of the X-ray emission.

Williams, Rosa Murphy↗
NASA NTRS1995

High-resolution X-ray imaging of the Starburst Galaxy M82

Starburst galaxies are predicted to drive hot flows of gas from their central star-forming regions, and to test this expectation, a deep X-ray image was obtained of the nearby starburst galaxy M82 with the High-Resolution Imager (HRI) on the X-ray telescope ROSAT. Aside from three nuclear point sources, the flux is dominated by diffuse emission that we decompose into components along the disk and along the minor axis. The X-ray surface brightness of the disk component decreases exponentially with a scale length of 0.27 kpc, as does the optical line emission from warm ionized gas. This is not due to steady outflow of gas along the plane, but may indicate a rapid decrease in the star formation and energy input rate beyond the nuclear region. The X-ray emission along the minor axis is consistent with the outflow of gas in a jet that is partially confined within 1.6 kpc of the nucleus and expands freely at larger radii; this emission is detected to a distance of 6 kpc. In the center of M82, the hot gas density is 0.2-0.5/cu cm and the central gas pressure is P/k approximately = 0.3-3 x 10(exp 7) K/cu cm, which is similar to estimates of the pressure in the optical emission-line material and molecular gas.

Bregman, Joel N.↗
NASA NTRS1995

Discovery of a candidate old, isolated neutron star in the field of a galactic cirrus cloud

New x-ray optical, and radio observations of the bright, unidentified x-ray source MS 0317.7-6647 are presented suggesting that this source is a likely compact stellar remnant. As part of the Einstein Extended Medium Sensivity Survey, this source was discovered serendipitously in the Einstein Imaging Proportional Counter pointing towards the nearby (4.5 Mpc) spiral galaxy NGC 1313. The very high x-ray to optical flux ratio, pointlike ROSAT HRI detection, and extremely soft component in the x-ray spectrum of MS 0317.7-6647 eliminate all the usual classes of optical counterparts to faint x-ray sources except for a very massive x-ray binary (and black hole candidate) in NGC 1313, a nearby, companionless pulsar similar to Geminga, or a very nearby ( approximately 100 pc) isolated, old neutron star slowly accreting interstellar matter onto its magnetic poles. The presence of an IR cirrus cloud which shadows the approximately 0.25 keV x-ray background in this direction supports the latter possibilty.

Stocke, John T.↗
NASA NTRS1995

Diffuse emission and pathological Seyfert spectra

In this annual ROSAT status report, the diffuse emission and spectra from Seyfert galaxies are examined. Three papers are presented and their contents include the soft x-ray properties and spectra of a binary millisecond pulsar, the PSPC and HRI observations of a Starburst/Seyfert 2 Galaxy, and an analysis of the possibility of x-ray luminous starbursts in the Einstein Medium Sensitivity Survey.

Halpern, Jules P.↗
NASA NTRS1993

The Environmental Impact of Intra-Cluster Medium on the Interstellar Medium in Early Type Galaxies

Draft versions of three articles submitted for publication are presented. The first two articles address high resolution X-ray images of early type galaxies observed with the ROSAT HRI and PSPC. Data for NGC 1553 and NGC 5846 indicate that the emission is highly irregular, with interesting features at different scales. The gas temperatures also vary both with the galactocentric radius and in correspondence to regions of higher emission and denser material. Strikingly similar features are observed in the X-ray and H-alpha morphologies of NGC 1553 and NGC 5846, while smooth, regular isophotes are observed in NGC 4649 at both wavelengths. The third article addresses ROSAT PSPC observations of 5 X-ray bright early type galaxies.

Trinchieri, Ginevra↗
NASA NTRS1994

Rosat Observations of Nine Globular Clusters

The ROSAT HRI was used to image fields around nine Galactic globular clusters that have central densities in the range of 10(exp 4) - 10(exp 5) solar mass pc(exp -3) and that had not previously been observed with the Einstein Observatory. We detected X-ray sources associated with Pal 2 and NGC 6304 with luminosities of 1.1 x 10(exp 34) ergs/s and 1.2 x 10(exp 33) ergs/s, respectively. No X-ray emission was detected from the source in Ter 6, thus confirming its transient nature. In all, there were 23 serendipitous sources found in the nine fields; none was apparently associated with any of the other seven clusters. The results are discussed in the context of low-luminosity cluster X-ray sources, in general.

Rappaport, S.↗
NASA NTRS1996

Eta Carinae: Variability in a new light

Recent Rosat position sensitive proportional counter (PSPC) observations demonstrate the presence of a compact source of hard X-ray emission centers on the peculiar star, eta Carinae. These observations show a change in the hard band counting rate of a factor of 2 in a 4-month interval. The Rosat high resolution imager (HRI) observations which span the PSPC observations also reveal a variable source of X-ray emission centered in eta Carinae. Therefore, the strong variability which is a characteristic of eta Carinae in radio, infrared and visible wavebands is also observed at X-ray energies. The X-ray light curve of eta Carinae is examined using data from various astronomical data bases.

Corcoran, M. F.↗
NASA NTRS1996

N157B: X-ray evidence for a Crab-like supernova remnant

The X-ray observation of the supernova remnant N 157B is described. The Rosat High Resolution Imager (HRI) X-ray emission from the remnant was decomposed into point-like sources. The spectra showed abundance-enhanced neon and magnesium lines, indicating that the remnant originated in a massive progenitor. The flat and featureless data from the Advanced Satellite for Cosmology and Astrophysics (ASCA) confirm the Crab-like nature of the remnant. By interpreting both the thermal spectral component and the shell as representing the remnant's outer shock, the age of the remnant was estimated to be 4 x 10(exp 3) yr and the energy release approximately 2 x 10(exp 50) erg.

Gotthelf, Eric V.↗
NASA NTRS1996

Results from monitoring the broad-line radio galaxy 3C 390.3

The broad line radio galaxy 3C 390.3 was observed in a multiwavelength monitoring campaign by the Rosat high resolution imager (HRI), the International Ultraviolet Explorer and ground-based optical, infrared and and radio observations. The preliminary results from the campaign are reported, with emphasis on the X-ray observations. A large amplitude variability is observed. The light curve is dominated by a flare near JD 2449800, characterized by a doubling time scale of 9 days and a general increase in flux after the flare. The optical R and I band light curves show a general increase in flux. Spectra from the Advanced Satellite for Cosmology and Astrophysics (ASCA) obtained before and after the flare can be described by an absorbed power law.

Leighly, K, M.↗
NASA NTRS1996

ROSAT observations and correlated X-ray, radio, and optical features in cluster cooling flows

Images from the Rosat high resolution imager (HRI) of the central regions of cluster cooling flows are compared to optical continuum and radio continuum images. The radio sources associated with cooling flows show two distinct morphologies. In most sources, the jets appear to be inflating distinct lobes of radio plasma. These sources show strong Faraday rotation, radio pressures in agreement with the X-ray gas pressure, and a radio X-ray spatial anti-correlation. A few cooling sources are seen to have amorphous radio morphologies, Faraday depolarization, low radio pressure and a possible radio-X-ray spatial correlation. These properties suggest that the radio jets are disrupted and that the radio plasma is mixed with the thermal X-ray plasma. Blue continuum lobes are seen in several cooling flow central galaxies. These could be due to star formation induced by the hydrodynamical effects of the radio source or due to the scattered light from beamed emission from the active galactic nucleus.

Sarazin, C. L.↗
NASA NTRS1998

A Search for Hydrodynamical Interaction Between the ISM and Radio Jets in IC4296

The ROSAT HRI Data set on IC 4296 has been reduced and analysed. A draft paper on the small-scale structure of x-ray emission and its relation to the radio emission has been written. Mackie left the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory in September 1997 and in January 1998 he joined the staff at Carter Observatory, New Zealand. Mackie is currently (May 1998) upgrading computer software at Carter to run IRAF-PROS and XSPEC x-ray software packages in order to reduce and analyze archival ROSAT PSPC data on IC 4296. The PSPC results are needed to investigate the hot gas temperature and abundance properties that will be used in conjunction with the radio jet properties to determine the hydrodynamical interaction status of IC 4296, and finalize the results of a research paper.

Mackie, Glen↗
NASA NTRS1997

Cluster Observations for Combined X-Ray and Sunyaev-Zel'dovich Estimates of Peculiar Velocities and Distances

Measurements of the peculiar velocities of galaxy clusters with respect to the Hubble flow allow the determination of the gravitational field from all matter in the universe, not just the visible component. The Sunyaev-Zel'dovich (SZ) effect (the inverse-Compton scattering of cosmic microwave background photons by the hot gas in clusters of galaxies) allows these velocities to be measured without the use of empirical distance indicators. Additionally, because the magnitude of the SZ effect is independent of redshift, the technique can be used to measure velocities out to the epoch of cluster formation. The SZ technique requires a determination of the temperature of the hot cluster gas from X-ray observations, and measurements of the SZ effect at millimeter wavelengths to separate the contribution from the thermal motions within the gas from that of the cluster peculiax velocity. We have constructed a bolometric receiver, the Sunyaev-Zel'dovich Infrared Experiment, specifically to make measurements of the SZ effect at millimeter wavelengths in order to apply the SZ technique to peculiar velocity measurements. This receiver has already been used to set limits to the peculiar velocities of two galaxy clusters at z approx. 0.2. As a test of the SZ technique, the double cluster pair Abell 222 and 223 was selected for observation. Measurements of the redshifts of the two components suggest that, if the clusters are gravitationally bound, they should exhibit a relative velocity of 10OO km/ s, well above the expected precision of 200 km/ s (set by astrophysical confusion) that is expected from the SZ method. The temperature can be measured from ASCA data which we obtained for this cluster pair. However, in order to ensure that the temperature estimate from the ASCA data was not dominated by cooling flows within the cluster, we requested ROSAT HRI observations of this cluster pair. Analysis of the X-ray properties of the cluster pair is continuing by combining the ROSAT observations funded under this proposal, archival PSPC data and our own PI ASCA data. The imaging data shows that neither cluster has a strong cooling flow, although A223 is the more compact of the two components. A223 also has a sub-cluster projected 1 Mpc to the North. The observed properties of this cluster pair are strikingly similar to those of the well-studied pair of A399 and A401 which are widely believed to be interacting and are in the initial stages of merging. This strengthens our selection of this cluster pair as a test for cluster peculiar motions. Combining these X-ray observations with SUZIE measurements of the SZ effect will provide important constraints on cluster merger models. This part of the program has been heavily delayed by bad weather at Mauna Kea, however SZ observations were obtained in November 1997 as part of a separately funded effort. These data are currently being analyzed.

Lange, A. E.↗
NASA NTRS1998

The Study of Clusters of Galaxies and Large Scale Structures

The work on the ROSAT Deep Survey has been successfully completed. A number of interesting results have been established within this joint MPE, Cal Tech, JHU, ST Scl, ESO collaboration. First, a very large fraction, 70-80 percent, of the X-ray background has been directly resolved into point sources. We have derived a new log N-log S for X- ray sources and have measured a source density of 970 sources per square degree at a limiting flux level of 10(exp -15)/erg s sq cm (0.5-2.0 keV). Care was taken in these studies to accurately model and measure the effects of sources confusion. This was possible because of our observing strategy which included both deep PSPC and HRI observations. In the last year we initiated work in the design and development of the Next Generation Space Telescope.

Source record↗
NASA NTRS1998

Spatially Resolved Spectroscopy of the SNR IC443

IC 443 is a supernova remnant of intermediate age, i.e. a few thousand years. It is especially interesting because part of its periphery is expanding into a molecular cloud while other sections are expanding into a typical interstellar medium of much lower density. Since the evolution of a supernova remnant through its various phases is affected by the density of the medium it expands into with the reasonable assumption that the supernova explosion was approximately symmetric we have an opportunity to observe a single object in two phases simultaneously. It was observed by ASCA in April, 1993 for a short period during the PV phase and more thoroughly in a 42 ksec exposure in March, 1994. The latter measurement provides most of the results that have been reported. Most of the analysis took place after the grant ended but is included here for completeness. The data was sent simultaneously to US and Japanese Pls. We worked independently. The software set of FTOOLs was used to construct images and spectra. They were judged to be rather unintuitive and not at all user friendly. I found I was using one FTOOL to read the header to obtain information that would only be provided to another FTOOL. The Japanese investigators were more successful. They analyzed the data and published results more rapidly. The scientific results summarized below are based primarily on their publications. Since IC 443 is an interesting example of a middle aged SNR in which a variety of processes are occurring it is one of a class. IC 443 exhibits shell-like emission in hard X-rays and extended soft X-rays with thin thermal spectra. It resembles SN 1006 in these respects. IC 443 contains hard X-rays in a semi-circular shell surrounding the thermal component. The total hard X-ray flux in the ASCA FOV is only a half of the Ginga hard component; which suggests that the hard X-rays are not confined only in the shell but some are extended larger than the ASCA FOV of eq 1 degree diameter. Japanese investigators examined the spatial structure of the thermal component and analyzed the GIS spectra with a non-equilibrium plasma model, and found no systematic variation of the interstellar absorption across the remnant. Evidence for shock acceleration of cosmic rays to high energies (10 TeV) was found by Keohane. X-ray imaging spectroscopy with ASCA reveals two regions of particularly hard emission: an unresolved source embedded in an extended emission region, and a ridge of emission coincident with the southeastern rim. Both features are located on part of the radio shell where the shock wave is interacting with molecular gas, and together they account for a majority of the emission at 7 keV. Though we would not have noticed it a priori, the unresolved feature is coincident with one resolved by the ROSAT HRI. The ASCA measurements were combined with higher energy data from the XTE and GRO missions and with radio and TeV gamma-ray data to produce a nonthermal multiwavelength spectrum for IC 443 which was fit with a cosmic ray interaction model. This model calculates the cynchrotron, bremsstrahlung, invers Compton, and neutral pion decay emission produced by locally accelerated cosmic ray interacting with ambient matter, soft photon fields, and magnetic fields.

Gorenstein, P.↗
NASA NTRS1997

The Environmental Impact of Intra-Cluster Medium on the Interstellar Medium in Early Type Galaxies

High resolution X-ray images of three early type galaxies observed with the ROSAT HRI are presented. Data for NGC 1553 and NGC 5846 indicate that the emission is highly irregular, with interesting features on scales from a few arcsec to a few arcmin. The gas temperatures also vary both with the galactocentric radius and in correspondence to regions of higher emission and denser material. Strikingly similar features are observed in the X-ray and H(alpha) morphologies of NGC 1553 and NGC 5846, while smoother, more regular isophotes are observed in NGC 4649 at both wavelengths. A connection between these two kinds of emission therefore seems likely. In the light of our observations we discuss possible scenarios that can and account for the connection between X-ray and H(alpha) emissions.

Trinchieri, Ginevra↗
NASA NTRS1998

High Energy Particle Acceleration and Turbulent Magnetic Field Amplification in Shell Type Supernova Remnants

Thesis submitted to the faculty of the Graduate School of the University of Minnesota in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy. Part I discusses the spatial correlation between the x-ray and radio morphologies of Cas A, and in the process address: the effect of inhomogeneous absorption on the apparent x-ray morphology, the interaction between the SNR and a molecular cloud, and the rapid move toward equipartition between the magnetic and gas energy densities. Discussions of the x-ray./radio correlation continues in Chapter 5, where we present a new, deep, ROSAT HRI image of Cas A. Chapter 7 presents ASCA spectra, with non-thermal spectral fits for 13 of the youngest SNRs in the Galaxy.

Keohane, Jonathan Wilmore↗
NASA NTRS1997

Periodic X-Ray Emission from the O7 V Star Theta(sup 1) Orionis C

We report the discovery of large-amplitude, periodic X-ray emission from the O7 V star Theta(sup 1) Orionis C, the central star of the Orion Nebula. Ten ROSAT HRI snapshots of the Trapezium cluster taken over the course of 21 days show that the count rate of Theta(sup 1) Ori C varies from 0.26 to 0.41 counts/ s with a clear 15 day period. The soft X-ray variations have the same phase and period as H(alpha) and He II (lambda)4686 variations reported by Stahl et al. and are in antiphase with the C(sub iv) and Si(sub iv) ultraviolet absorption features. We consider five mechanisms which might explain the amplitude, phase, and periodicity of the X-ray variations: (1) colliding-wind emission with an unseen binary companion, (2) coronal emission from an unseen late-type pre-main-sequence star, (3) periodic density fluctuations, (4) absorption of magnetospheric X-rays in a corotating wind, and (5) magnetosphere eclipses. The ROSAT data rule out the first three scenarios but cannot rule out either of the latter two which require the presence of an extended magnetosphere, consistent with the suggestion of Stahl et al. that Theta(sup 1) Ori C is an oblique magnetic rotator. As such, Theta(sup 1) Ori C may be the best example of a high-mass analog to the chemically peculiar, magnetic Bp stars.

Gagne, Marc↗
NASA NTRS1998

The Study of Clusters of Galaxies and Large Scale Structures

Many research projects have been initiated and completed under support of this program. The results are summarized below. The work on the ROSAT Deep Survey has been successfully completed. A number of interesting results have been established within this joint MPE, Cal Tech, JHU, ST ScI, ESO collaboration. First, a very large fraction, 70-80 percent, of the X-ray background has been directly resolved into point sources. We have derived a new log N-log S for X-ray sources and have measured a source density of 970 sources per square degree at a limiting flux level. Care was taken in these studies to accurately model and measure the effects of sources confusion. This was possible because of our observing strategy which included both deep PSPC and HRI observations. No evidence of a population of narrow emission line galaxies has been established but some evidence for the evolution of low luminosity AGN (Seyfert galaxies) has been reported. The work on the ROSAT All Sky Survey Northern Cluster Survey has been substantially concluded but the publication of the list has been held up by the need to analyze newly re-calibrated data. This should result in publication over the next year. During the past year we have submitted a paper to the Astrophysical Journal which utilized a sample of clusters originally selected from the ROSAT All-sky survey at redshifts greater than 0.3. This sample was studied with ASCA to determine temperature and luminosity.

Source record↗